Nick scrolled through his tablet when he cocked his eyebrow "Oh? This is interesting."
"What is?" Annabeth asked
Nick answered "Well, let me ask this first. If your loved one was killed by the very same people you tolerate or even swore to protect, what would you do?"
That question left everyone silent as they thought it over. Not even Annabeth had an answer. Not that Nick was expecting one. He continued.
"In this one, we go back to the 1400's where a very famous vampire ruled."
"Vampires? Really? They don't exist." Leo said with a scoff.
Percy spoke with a heavy tone in his voice "The Empousa count as vampires." To which Annabeth took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Nick spoke "I will warn you, this is not for the faint of heart. Even for you battle hardened warriors."
"Try me." Thalia said.
Nick shrugged "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you... Castlevania."
The screen opened with the view of skeletons impaled on iron spears. Text appeared revealing:
Wallachia, 1455
"Woah ok then. Starting off grim." Leo said with a nervous chuckle. Hazel grew a little uneasy at the sight.
"Wait... Very famous vampire... Impaled skeletons, you mean Dracula? I thought there was no connection between hom and Vlad Tepes." Annabeth said as she looked at Nick.
"And you're right. Bram Stoker only took the name Dracula. It had nothing to do with Vlad the Impaler. But because of Hollywood, they cemented Dracula as Vlad Tepes. But this Dracula is a little different."
As the view of the impaled skeletons continued, it became blocked bu the squeals and multitudes of bats. Until one bat was stabbed by a dagger that belonged to Annabeth, before being thrown down.
"Woah, killing animals already, Annie?" Thalia said with a smirk as she eyed her.
Annabeth growled "Don't call me that. And for another, it was in my way."
"I think the real question is, what is she doing there?" Hazel asked.
It cut to show Annabeth staring at a giant set of doors before cutting out to reveal it belong to a castle. One of humongous scale with several towers not even have support at the bottom. This was Castlevania.
Annabeth gasped "By the gods! How? How was that castle created! It's bigger than the palace of Olympus!"
Everyone else stared at the castle with eyes the size of dinner plates.
Percy asked "Dracula lived... In that?"
"It puts all our monuments and buildings to shame." Jason said without a breath.
The screen cut to different parts of the castle. Revealing cogs and pistons, along with electricity sparking from inside a dome.Annabeth released a breath before banging the door with the butt of her dagger. The doors opened on their own and Annabeth walked through.
"Oh sure, go into the intimidating castle. Nothing bad is ever gonna happen to you." Leo said with sarcasm laced.
"I can take whatever comes." Annabeth said while crossing her arms.
"We know you can but this... This seems out of your league." Percy pointed out while wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
Annabeth walked through the hall when the doors closed, making her look back. She turned back around to see a man standing at a balcony connected by two flights of stairs. From the distant, they could see him with a black coat, black dress pants and boots. The collar was tucked up, much like a typical Count.
Annabeth introduced herself as she sheathed her dagger "My name is Annabeth. I am from the Village of Lupu. I want to be a doctor."
The man never spoke. Instead he walked to his right before fading out of existence.
"Uhh... I'm not liking this." Hazel said nervously.
"None of us are." Frank said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Is he going to bite her?" Piper asked while trying to ignore the chill on her spine.
The man spoke as he glided through the hall, remaining out of sight. "You bang on my front door because you want to daub chicken blood on peasants."
Annabeth did not appreciate the the subtle accusations of a witch. She closed her eyes and said with a sharp tone. "Don't mistake me for a witch. Everybody out there already does that. I believe in science, but... I need to know more. I've exhausted my other options and all the stories say the man who lives here has secret knowledge."
The man appeared behind her from the shadows before leaning down and spoke from his shoulder. His face could be seen more clearly. He had pale skin with long black hair like a Raven's feathers and a sharp mustache and beard that ended at a sharp point. The most noticeable features were his pointy ears, blood red eyes, and a pair of fangs that protruded from his lips.
"I am Perseus Dracula Tepes, and I do not get many visitors."
His voice made her eyes wide and she froze in fear over how close he was and even how tall she could feel he was.
"Percy!?" Annabeth exclaimed while he himself stared at his counterpart. "I'm a vampire?"
"Dude, you are huge! You're as tall as the gods when they shrink down!" Leo said with wide eyes.
Thalia couldn't help but gulp at the sight of her cousin and who he was on screen.
Piper sunk into her boyfriend's embrace.
"What have you to trade for my knowledge, Annabeth from Lupu?" His hand loomed over her shoulder before she steeled herself and backed away from him.
She glared at him "Perhaps I can help you relearn some manners."
"Ok, Annabeth, I know you're prideful, but I'd rather you not piss this guy off. And that's coming from me." Percy said while nervous.
"You gotta admit, she's got some balls to be sassy to the King of Vampires." Piper said.
Dracula stood upright while looking down at her with an eyebrow raised as she continued. "I've crossed the threshold of your home, and you haven't offered me a drink or even to take my coat."
Dracula took a step forward "What if I took a drink from you? Or have you loaded yourself with silver, crosses, and garlic in superstitious fears?"
Annabeth looked sheepish as she admitted "I may have eaten some roasted garlic earlier. Was that rude? I-it was all I had left."
"At least she's honest." Thalia shrugged.
"That reminds me, why is garlic a weakness to vampires? Same with silver. I thought that was for werewolves." Leo asked.
Nick answered "Garlic has a horrid smell to the undead. Thus they stay away from it. As for silver, well it has to do with Judas. The man who betrayed Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. Because of that, silver burns vampires because they are unholy creatures."
"Oh ok, thanks for the clarification." Leo thanked him before paying attention to the screen.
Dracula chuckled as Annabeth explained herself. He circled around her with his cape dragging behind him. "I'm not really interested in superstition, or being some muttering wise woman cheating people with boiled nettles and entrails. I want to HEAL people. I want to learn. Will you help me?"
"You must be seriously desperate to ask for a devil to teach you science." Jason said.
"Take any movie dealing with Hell. Someone always makes a deal in exchange for their soul. They always regret it. Now she's not exactly selling her soul but it's the same principle." Piper said while shaking her head.
"Maybe this one will be different." Frank suggested.
"We'll see." Thalia spoke as she crossed her arms.
Dracula noted as he stopped and looked at her. "You are definitely different to most humans I've met in recent times."
"Maybe I can teach you to like people again, or at least tolerate them, or stop putting them on sticks." Annabeth offered to which Dracula chuckled and began walking away. "I gave that up a long time ago."
Annabeth rushed to catch up to him amd Dracula asked "Where is Lupu Village?"
"You don't travel much." She pointed out."I can travel. This entire structure is a traveling machine."
"Ok I know it's rich coming from me and what kind of world we live in, but that is bullshit." Annabeth said with a cross of her arms.
"The entire castle traveling? How would that be possible?" Percy asked to which Leo answered "Teleportation maybe?"
"Possible, but in that time period? It's too advanced." Annabeth denied.
Annabeth pointed "But... You don't. Do you? Maybe you should. The world is changing." They stopped walking and Annabeth continued "Travel, like people do. You might like it."
Dracula frowned amd cocked his eyebrow as he spoke "I've known you two minutes, and you offer for me to walk the earth like an ordinary peasant while I give you the knowledge of immortals, the true science."
He opened his arm and a curtain was pulled back to reveal a large room woth gold laced everywhere. The room contained stacks of books along the walls and a large telescope. Above was a large model of the Solar system with a bright ball in the middle as the sun. Bottles contained with boiling colorful liquids and machinery operating and electricity sparking.
Both Annabeths could gasp and look in awe over how beautiful and how advanced everything was. Leo stared in amazement as well over the mechanics.
"Woah... It's all so beautiful..."
"Mother herself would've loved to see this." Annabeth said breathlessly.
"This Percy is the most advanced being of their time."
"This Dracula out of all incarnations has always been complex. He enjoys the studies of science but is cold. That's why he hasn't killed Annabeth. Because of her craving for knowledge." Nick stated.
"My. They won't be peasants anymore if you teach them. They won't live such short, scared lives if they have real medicine. They won't be superstitious if they learn how the world really works." Annabeth spoke with excitement laced in her voice.
Dracula asked with an amused chuckle "Why should I do that?"
Annabeth answered "To make the world better. Start with me, and I'll start with you."
Dracula smiled before bowing and opening his arm out to the room. "I think I might like you." Annabeth could only smile before walking with Dracula behind her.
"So that's how they met. Annabeth helping Percy become more human and Percy teaching Annabeth how to treat medicine and learn science." Piper said.
Percy spoke "That's better than how Annabeth and I met."
Annabeth looked a little bashful. "To be fair, we were only 12 years old."
Nick spoke "We'll be skipping ahead 20 years later."
'This was where it all went wrong.' He thought sadly.
Targoviste, Wallachia: 1475
The screen shows the Cathedral where a warm orange glow is illuminating from the bottom. It pans down to reveal a burning is happening. The citizens and priests were watching someone getting burned.
"Woah, what the Hades?" Frank asked while the tension in the air grew.
"Why are we watching someone getting burned? This is awful." Piper said to which Jason gripped her shoulder tightly, to comfort her.
The person being burned was none other than Annabeth.
"ANNABETH!?" Everyone shouted but no one was louder than Percy. Annabeth herself put her hands over her mouth in shock over watching herself getting burned.
"No no no no no..." Percy muttered as he tried to stand up but Thalia and Annabeth held him down.
"Percy no, you can't do anything!" Annabeth shouted while placing her hands on his cheeks to make him look at her.
"Annabeth..." Percy said with tears in his eyes before she silenced him with a kiss.
"I know... I know... But it's going to be ok. I'm here. I'm right here."
It was silent as everyone watched the couple try to get over seeing Annabeth currently getting burned. Even if it was an alternate universe.
After what seemed like hours, Percy and Annabeth let go and sat back down. Annabeth was on his lap and Percy had his arms around her waist.
Annabeth was groaning from the intense heat and her eyes brimming with tears. The priests around held crosses as they chanted their prays, but it was inaudible. One priest stood out. The Bishop. Even though he was old, the same slimy features were familiar.
"Octavian..." Jason and Percy growled at the same time.
"Him? As a bishop?" Frank asked nervously.
"He doesn't need that kind of power." Hazel said, glaring at him.
The Mayor of Targoviste stood beside Octavian and stroked his beard.
"So there were devil engines in her house, Bishop?"
"I saw them with my own eyes. And glass in shapes you've never seen, thin as paper. Lightning. Strange weeds and tools. Witch's things. Of all the witches I've rooted out, none had such a collection." The Bishop replied while glaring at Annabeth.
"And it had to come to this?" Mayor asked with sadness.
"She called it all science, Mayor. Annabeth Tepes of Lupu was so far gone that she couldn't see that it was all given to her by Satan." The Bishop defended.
Percy growled and sneered at the Octavian on screen. "You son of a bitch." Annabeth placed a hand on his to keep him calm.
"Wait, you heard him right? He called her Annabeth Tepes." Piper pointed out.
Everybody's eyes widen as they realized...
They married.
"They're murdering his wife..." Leo whispered.
"Without her... What is he going to do?" Hazel asked with uneasiness in her voice.
The Mayor stroked his mustache as he pointed out "I made some small study of the chemical science myself, you know."
Octavian glared at the Mayor who stuttered and defended himself. "J-just a study of course. I'd never think to practice such things."
The Bishop returned his eyes to the burning. "The Archbishop would prefer that life in Wallachia be kept simple, Mayor."
The was a roar of flames and Annabeth screamed in pain which made Octavian smirk.
Percy closed his eyes and tried to breath calmly while Annabeth turned her head away. Jason glared at him "Fucking psychopath." Piper tried wiping a tear away from her cheek.
Octavian continued. "Simple. Pure. Good."
Annabeth groaned more before shouting out at the sky "Don't hurt them! They don't understand!"
"Who's she talking to?" The Mayor asked to which Octavian answered "I believe she's exhorting Satan not to take revenge on us, which I suppose is almost commendable, for a witch. Perhaps I'll say a prayer for her. A small one."
"YOU BASTARD!!" Percy shouted as he stood up but was restrained by Thalia and Jason.
"Percy! Calm down! It's not her! That's not our Annabeth!" Thalia struggled. Everyone watched with wide eyes.
Nick pursed his lips 'Maybe I should not have shown them this one.' Nick stood up and placed a hand on Percy's forehead before the Son of Poseidon began to relax and sat back down.
"What did you do to him!?" Annabeth shouted at Nick before looking over Percy.
"I relaxed his mind. His mind never recovered after your trip down in that Pit. I've taken a majority of the wounds away but there is still much negativity inside him. I suppose it's my fault for showing you all this. I apologize. We can stop if you wish."
Everyone was silent but Percy said in a whispered tone "Keep going... I want to see this to the end." Annabeth looked at him with worried eyes "Percy... Are you sure?"
Percy nodded "I can't... I can't leave this unfinished. Keep going."
Nick looked at him before nodding and sat back down on his chair while Godzilla, his Komodo Dragon nuzzled into his leg.
Annabeth coughed from the smoke and heat before continuing to speak out at the sky. "I know it's not your fault, but... If you can hear... They don't know what they're doing. Be better than them. Please!" She screamed as the fire finally consumed her.
Everyone turned away from the screen and sniffs could be heard as they tried to block out the scream. Percy and Annabeth hugged each other tightly as Percy struggled not to cry. "You're not getting away from me... Never again..."
"As long as we're together..." Annabeth finished with a whisper.
Everyone watched while holding each other in comfort.
Leo asked "Was that it? Was that the end?"
Nick shook his head "This wasn't the worst part."
Everyone was shocked "Worse... How could you get worse than THAT!?" Piper exclaimed.
"His reaction to her death." Thalia said with dread.
The screen started back up with a view of a village coated in fog. Dracula was seen walking through the village with a bag over his shoulder. The screen zoomed to his left hand where a metal ring was seen.
This made everyone dread his reaction.
Dracula stopped as the wind picked up. He knew something was wrong. Their fence was broke and a little splotch of blood was seen near his boots. Dracula walked through the opening and through a grass field where a murder of crows cawed and flew away.Dracula made it through some bushes before his eyes widen at the sight of their house burned down. His bag fell from his shoulder.
"They burned down our house..." Annabeth whispered
An old lady was seen walking toward the ruined house with flowers in her hand. She stopped behind him and asked "Are you Mr. Tepes? She talked about you."
Dracula turned to look at her "What happened? Where is my wife?"
The old lady walked to where the door would've been and placed the flowers down. "Ohh. The Bishop took her. Witchcraft, he said. They're burning her at the stake. She was good to me, your wife. A good doctor. It's not right what happened to her."
"Where are they holding her? The Cathedral?" He asked with a sliver of hope in his voice.
"Oh. Oh no sir. Sh-she'll be dead by now." Her reply made Dracula ball his fists as he whispered "What?"
The old lady looked away with tears in her eyes "I couldn't be there. I don't care what they say. I won't take joy in that woman being killed by the Church."
The flowers were seen as she finished "I'm here remembering her instead."
"At least one woman saw the truth about her." Leo said with sadness.
Annabeth asked "What will he do..."
Leo was silent until he answered. "Y miré y vi un caballo pálido."
Dracula was seen with bloody tears drifting down his cheeks as he looked down. "She said to me, 'If you would love me as a man, then live as a man. Travel as a man."
"She said you were traveling." The old lady remembered.
Dracula's hands were shown. "I was. The way men do. Slowly. No more."
Dracula turned around to face the lady who gasped as the bloody tears and fire in his eyes as he growled. "I do this last kindness in her name, she who loved you humans and cared for your ills."
The old lady backed up in fear as Dracula spoke "Take your family and leave Wallachia tonight. Pack and go, and do not look back..."
Fire began to consume him which made her terrified and tears began to spill from her eyes. Dracula finished with a hiss "...For no more do I travel as a man."
Dracula's form changed to him being completely consumed by fire. The old lady held a cross to protect herself. Dracula stared at her before disappearing in a towering inferno.The old lady began to run away from the house and the flowers burned as well.
Everyone watched with sadness. But they were relieved that he let the woman go.
"He won't take this quietly..." Hazel said while wiping a tear away.
Jason shook his head "No one would. I understand his hate."
"She was his only way of making him more human... But now... Nothing is holding him back from killing them." Thalia said while gritting her teeth. She was pissed off at the humans. They all were.
The flowers transitioned to the burning wood at the Church where Annabeth's charred corpse broke apart.
Everyone flinched and Percy looked away as tears threatened to spill.
The villagers all cheered for the death of Annabeth Tepes. Falsely accused witch and good doctor.
"Those motherfuckers..." Thalia growled as her eyes sparked with electricity. Percy's eyes glowed green with hatred at seeing them cheer and celebrate her death.
The Mayor walked up the Bishop "Ah. There. Quiet a show. Drinks?"
Octavian yawned and declined as he walked down the steps "I should minister to the Archbishop. I fear he's not long for this world, to be honest."
The Mayor asked as he followed him down. "Off to heaven with him, eh? I suppose that's the ultimate goal for you priests, serving God in His true house and all that."
"It holds little appeal for me, to be honest." Octavian answered which surprised the Mayor. "Really?"
"You don't have the right to act all modest about that!" Jason growled "Not after murdering an innocent woman!"
Piper placed a hand on his shoulder, making Jason take a deep breath. Thalia placed a hand on his shoulder making him nod in appreciation.
"There's so much left to be done on Earth. Wallachia could be God's own country had I but time to burn out all the evil that hides here." Octavian said before releasing a depressed moan.
Suddenly an explosion happens right where the bonfire was and it expanded fo reveal Dracula's face roar at them before demanding "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"
The Mayor gasped "Satan!"
"No... Someone worse." Leo said with his eyes closed.
"A husband's scorn." Frank finished.
Dracula demanded once more "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WIFE!?"
Octavian pulls out his cross amd spoke in Latin "In nomine Patris et Filii..."
"God's not helping you this time, asshole." Annabeth glared at the screen to which Percy held her hand.
"I am Perseus Dracula Tepes, and you will tell me why this thing has happened to my wife!" He growled at the villagers and priests.
The Mayor paled "Oh no. Oh God! Dracula! He was supposed to be a myth, a story made up by heretics!"
Octavian answered "She... She's a witch."
Dracula replied "Annabeth Tepes was a woman of science, and the one thing that justified humanity's stench upon this planet."
"You are not real. You are a fiction that justified the practice of black magic!" Octavian answered
"You just signed your death warrant, dumbass." Piper said.
"Now he will collect it." Hazel whimpered which made Frank hold her in comfort.
"A FICTION!?" Dracula shouted, his face now that of a skull. "You take my wife and deny I even exist!?"
His voice became a calming rage as he warned them. "I give you one year, Wallachians. You have one year to make your peace and remove any marks you have made upon the land. One year, and then I'll wipe all human life from the land of Wallachia. You took that which I love, so I will take from you everything you have, and everything you have ever been."
Dracula's face reformed to his normal face as he glared at them all. "One year." His face disappeared into a fiery tornado with an unearthly howl following while all the windows shattered and fell on the villagers.
Octavian made terrified gasps as he watched fire fall from the sky which made everyone leave except for the Bishop.
Everyone watched the scene with wide eyes. They watched their closest friend declare war on the humans in Wallachia for the death of Annabeth. Somehow, it was like looking at a mirror for Percy. If Annabeth died on him and the gods never arrived, he would've blamed them and possibly declare war on them as well.
"So this is what you meant... When you asked what we would do for those we love?" Piper asked to which Nick nodded.
"What you see, is what happens when the only thing Percy ever felt loyal to be taken from him. In a sense, your Percy would've done the same thing."
"That's ridiculous! He would never threaten humanity!" Hazel denied.
Nick answered "No not humanity. The gods."
This silenced them. Annabeth shook her head "The gods have nothing to do with this. The fault is on the Bishop. The ones who accused her or me of witchcraft."
"But here? The gods would've been blamed. For good reason." Nick spoke "But now is not the time for that kind of debate."
Dracula's face was shown in a mirror that broke into pieces before floating up and all around the room. He walked to a boom before tearing the pages in rage. He broke the glass vials before shattering the desk in a fit of rage. He panted before holding his hand out to the mirror which reformed with some lightning.
"One year! It will take me one year to summon an army from the guts of Hell itself!"
"He's summoning demons!?" Hazel shouted
"Could he even control them!?" Thalia asked as she felt the shiver go up her spine.
"More importantly, he's not going after just the ones in Targoviste, isn't he!?" Frank asked.
"No." A male voice said when the doors opened behind Dracula.
"Wait what?" Annabeth asked.
"Who is that?" Leo asked
Dracula's back was shown as he growled out "What do you mean, no? That woman was the only reason on Earth for me to tolerate HUMAN LIFE!"
"Then find the one who did the deed." The man said
"Yes! Kill the priest! Spare everyone else!" Annabeth pleaded.
"If you loose an army of the night on Wallachia, you cannot undo it, and many thousands of people just as innocent as her will suffer and die."
This made Dracula more enraged as he shouted "THERE ARE NO INNOCENTS!! NOT ANYMORE!! Anyone of them could have stood up and said 'No, we won't behave like animals anymore.'"
"They didn't because they were either in fear or truly believed the words of the Church. This is not their fault." Piper said with a sad shake of her head.
"Bullshit." Thalia growled out. "You saw the way they cheered when Annabeth burned up. They fucking enjoyed it."
"But they didn't know that she wasn't a witch. They just went along with it." Frank protested.
"Exactly! They didn't bother to question it! They didn't ask why she was being punished! To me, they're just as guilty!" Thalia sneered at the screen.
"I won't let you do it. I grieve with you, but I won't let you commit genocide." The man said in defiance.
"Is he a friend of theirs?" Jason asked.
Nick answered "It's his son."
This made everyone silent as Percy and Annabeth stared with wide eyes. "Our... Son?" Percy breathed out.
Annabeth stared at the screen before looking at Percy "We had a family..."
"And they destroyed it." Percy finished before beginning to silently cry and wrap his arms around her which she did the same and cried as well.
"Uhh guys?" Leo tapped their shoulders which made them break apart and look at the screen.
Dracula growled before releasing a cry in anger as he launched himself toward his son and used his claws. Blood flew into the air before fading into black.
Everyone watched in shock. Half of them had hands over their mouths from watching Percy attack his own son.
Percy had eyes the size of dinner plates as he stared down at his own hands "What have I done..."
Annabeth shook herself from her shock and looked at Percy "Percy. Percy look at me." When she finally did, she spoke "That is not you. You would never hurt your own son."
Percy shook his head "But..."
She placed a finger over his lips to silence him as she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him in for a comforting hug.
"Now there's nothing to stop him from killing them all." Piper said with dread in her voice.
The camera cut to show a choir singing in front of the Cathedral.The city of Targoviste had tents and banners on display. Text was revealed showing:
Targoviste, Wallachia: 1476
"No... No no no no no." Annabeth muttered while shaking her head.
"They're... Celebrating?" Leo asked
"They didn't fucking listen!" Thalia growled with her eyes cackling with lightning.
"They made the bed, they get to lie in it." Frank said solemnly.
The villagers gathered in front of the stairs leading to the Cathedral where the choir continued to sing. The heavy doors opened to reveal the Archbishop. An obese old man with long sharp nails. The villagers cheered and clapped as he was placed on top of a block.
"Good gods, this guy." Frank said in disgust.
"The years have not been kind to him." Leo said with a slight hiss.
The Archbishop raised his hand and the applauding subsided before he spoke.
"Ah... For twenty years have I served you and God as the Archbishop of Targoviste Cathedral. Yet never before have I felt the love of God shine so upon this great city. A little more than one year ago, many of us suffered a vision during the God-willed punishment of a witch in our midst. The Devil himself came to us and threatened us with doom in one year. And yet, here we are. The Devil lied. Why should we be surprised?"
As the Archbishop made his speech, the skies began to darken with blood red clouds.
"Do we not know his works to be illusion?" The Archbishop continued. "Of course we do! Illusions and falsehoods hold no fear for us, for we are the righteous of Targoviste, living as if cradled in the love of God." He spoke the last sentence with his arms out stretched before a drop of blood fell onto his hand.
"Well there's something you don't see every day." Piper blinked at the drop of blood.
"I guess you could say its... Raining Blood?" Percy said at an attempt at Slayer humor.
There was a brief of tiny laughing for the Seven and Thalia which made the air more clearer.
That didn't last long as they watched blood rain profusely on the people, making the villagers begin to scream in terror and the audience members a tiny bit squeamish.Things began to drop from the sky to which the Mayor looked down to see a bat fetus.
This made several members nearly throw up.
"Oh gods, what the fuck is that!?" Annabeth shouted with a hand over her mouth to stop herself from vomiting. Thalia went a little green in the face.
The Cathedral began to crack before the glass exploded and impaled the choir members and even the Archbishop but he managed to survive... Somehow.
"Wait... How the bloody hell did he survive!?" Hazel asked to which none had an answer. Not even Annabeth. "He shouldn't have survived that."
The Archbishop stood up and watched as the Cathedral exploded in flames before a tornado emerged before revealing Dracula's fiery face looming down on everyone. His dark and loud voice was heard all throughout the city.
"One year. I gave you one year to make your peace with your God. And what do you do? Celebrate the day you killed my wife. One year I gave you while I assembled my armies. And now, I bring your death. You had your chance." His face disappeared into smoke.
Nick snapped his fingers and buckets appeared for all of them. They looked at him questioningly before looking back.
"This is it, isn't it?" Percy asked with dread.
An explosion happened which Dracula's castle rose from the ruins of the Cathedral.
"So that's how he does it..." Annabeth's eyes widen as she stared at it. "That's what he meant by traveling machine."
"Like all of Olympus appearing where the Heart of the West is." Percy said, remembering Chiron tell him how all of Olympus appears.
Windows all over the castle opened violently before revealing bat-like creatures. They were skinny, bipedal, with wings and large fingered fingered claws.They all charged out of every opening and charged towards the villagers where one swiped its claws at a woman. She held her arm before looking at the screen where her jaw and left eye were gone.
The villagers began to run away from the three bodies the Night Creature slew. More creatures began to fly and rip them in half. One villagers face was pierced from the back of his head.
The camera showed various villagers torn apart like their spines showing. Eyeballs missing and decapitations.
All the audience members watched before several of them clutched the buckets and began to vomit violently. They may have seen something of this caliber before, but it doesn't mean they got used to it. This simply brought those horrid memories back.
A Night Creature killed a mother and her daughter before opening its jaws and firing a ball of fire at a building where the Mayor stood. The entire city was set on fire and blood was pooling into the sewers and even turned the fountains into blood. Corpses laid everywhere.
The camera cut to look at Castlevania where a gigantic swarm of bats formed into Dracula's face where he ordered the Horde of Night Creatures.
"Kill everything you see. Kill them all. And once Targoviste has been turned into a graveyard for my love, go forth into the country. Go now. Go to all the cities of Wallachia: Arges! Severin! Gresit! Chilia! Enisara! Go now and kill. Kill for my love! Kill for the only true love I ever knew. Kill for the endless lifetime of hate before me."
His face exploded into a murder of crows before covering the screen, ending the scene.
Everyone watched with wide eyes. They watched their friend, the strongest of them, the most friendly, and the most powerful half-blood essentially ordered the extinction of Humanity. All for love. All for Annabeth.
"Leo... What was that you said in Spanish?" Piper asked to which Leo lowered his head.
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse." Leo quoted.
Percy asked "A pale horse? What does that mean?"
Nick answered "Revelations 6:8. It spoke of the arrival of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. The Pale Horse belonged to Death. What Leo means is what you saw. Dracula brought death."
"All for love." Piper said with a somber tone.
Jason asked "Is there no hope for them?"
Nick answered "There is. But that will have to be for another time." He was about to click on his tablet when Percy spoke "Wait."
Nick looked up and Percy asked "How did I become a vampire?"
It was silent after that question and Nick asked "Do you truly wished to know?"
Percy nodded to which Annabeth held his hand gently.
Nick nodded back "Very well. But clean yourselves up before we start."
One by one, each person got up and washed their faces and brushed their teeth before heading back in and getting comfy again.
He tapped into his tablet and for a brief second, he hesitated before tapping on the tablet.